Bloemfontein - Five suspects were arrested during a robbery foiled by police and local farmers in Ventersburg, Free State police said on Friday.
The attempted robbery occurred at the Sandriver Bottle Store at midday on Thursday.
Two of the suspects entered the store pretending to be customers.
While the shopkeeper assisted them, one of the suspects took out a firearm and pointed it at her.
The suspect jumped over the counter to grab the cash but the shopkeeper managed to press the alarm, resulting in the suspects fleeing the scene.
“No shot was fired and they did not take any cash. They however dropped a pistol on the scene which was confiscated. It was a pellet toy gun that looks like a real firearm,” said police spokesperson Malebo Khosana.
The police and some Ventersburg farmers pursued the suspects.
Four of the five suspects were arrested and held at the Meloding police cells for attempted robbery.
The fifth suspect was later arrested at his home in Stilte Park in Meloding where police discovered various items linked to another robbery the previous day at a Virginia scrapyard.
A box used as a container of a pellet gun, pellet gun gas cylinder and a plastic container with an unknown number of balls (pellets) were found and seized by the police. In addition to that, a cell phone and the key of a Ford Ranger were found in his possession.”
The five suspects, aged between 26 and 40, are expected to appear in Ventersburg Magistrates’ Court soon.
Praising the arrests, Cluster Commander of Thabong, Major General Lerato Molale said: “The farmers in the Ventersburg vicinity are active in crime prevention and combatting which is the synergy we need”.
“This team work plays an important role in squeezing the space for criminals.”
ANA